Throwing my hands up— like I was some animal and looking bigger made me more intimidating— I trembled as my dad scurried toward the elevator. Did he not see how awful I looked?
No, he did. He just doesn't care. Sniffling harshly, I reached to wipe the snot dripping from my nose with my tissue as I glared at my dad's back. He was just a sperm donor, never a dad.
"Mel—" My head whipped to the side, and Terry held up his hands in surrender. "You know it's three in the afternoon, right?"
"What?" The last time I looked at the clock, it wasn't even 10 a.m., and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. My apartment was a mess, and there wasn't even time to order something and get back here. I couldn't even properly dress myself up! As if sensing where my thoughts were going, Terry walked over to grab my bicep and squeeze comfortingly. "Jason and I will help you. I don't know why you're worried about getting all dolled up, though, considering..."
"You heard him if it 'goes good', he'll leave me alone forever. I— I— what...?" Dizziness blurred Terry's concerned features, and I squeezed my eyes shut tightly to take a stabilizing breath. "I'll make this place the Met Gala if it means getting away from him."
"Then, the Met Gala you shall have." Terry's eyes blazed with determination, and I flung my arms around him to hug him with all my meager strength. I was so friggin lucky to have a friend like him, and he patted my back firmly before pulling back to cup my flaming cheeks. "You take a cold shower and sniff some curry or something. I'll get Jason onboard."
"You're amazing, Terry." He winked at me before disappearing back into his apartment, and I leaned on the door frame heavily. "... What just happened?"
Why was I going to bother getting dressed and hiding how enflamed my face was? Why was I going to waste makeup trying to disguise how red and puffy my eyes were? What was the point of stressing out about making food I didn't even want to eat to impress someone I'd never see again?
Because this time, my dad said he'd leave my life. Permanently. And he might be lying like usual to get me to do what he wanted, but I was going to hold him to it. I knew about his fudged books. I knew about his gross overcharging and hiding his money from the IRS. I knew about the employees he'd underpaid and threatened, and I knew that with one phone call, I could destroy him.
Hopefully, he realized that I would do it. It'd take a while, but I would eventually work up the courage to make that call.
"This woman has a kid my age." Does that mean I was going to have to entertain some sniveling, spoilt teenage boy in my apartment? Misery slumped my shoulders, and I cupped my forehead as I took a shallow, wheezing breath. At least she's not my age... I guess... "This is so messed up."Chapter 17Carl"I just think it's fucked that he wants to go to his kid's apartment rather than his own home, Laurie. That's all. My opinion of him couldn't get any lower, but I was wrong, apparently." My sister nodded across the center console of my car, and I flexed my grip on the wheel. "I wonder what's so important that Mom couldn't say on the phone..."
"Whatever it is, I'm sure we're not gonna like it." Pulling up on the curb, I ducked to peer up at the apartment complex warily. Smack on the edge of town, I didn't know such a nice place existed, otherwise I would've put in an inquiry. "I hope this chick's not trying to be my best friend."
"I hope she's not anything like her father." There was so much uncertainty around this 'get together', and I turned off my car to sit back and sigh heavily. "Let's get this over with. I don't want to stay forever. I have a panel meeting tomorrow that I have to prepare for."
"You're telling me. I'm not gonna make my morning class tomorrow, I don't think. But— hey, better Mom's relationship drama than your own. You're not the least bit worried about that Mel girl ghosting you?"
Frowning thinly, I shook my head as I twirled my keys against my palm. Melissa wasn't the kind of girl to ghost someone, and the air quality had tanked so hard I expected to see her in the ER at some point. My sister shrugged lightly, her thin, pale green shirt sliding off her slender shoulder out of the corner of my eye.
"I'm just sayin'— it seems kinda fishy."
"I'd bet all the money in my bank account that she's been taking the blooming season really hard."